Buck Showalter perturbed about the idea that he doesn't care if Mets finish last
Manager Buck Showalter #11 of the New York Mets looks on against the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a double header at Citi Field on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023 in the Queens borough of New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
With their 7-6 victory over Atlanta on Sunday night at Citi Field, the Mets moved a half-game ahead of the last-place Nationals in the NL East.
So might this set up a reverse pennant race of sorts down the stretch, or at this point, does it not really matter much to the Mets whether they finish fourth or fifth?
Before Sunday night’s game, manager Buck Showalter dismissed the notion that he does not care whether the Mets finish last.
“No, we’re all wired to win, to try to win a nine-inning baseball game every night,” he said in response to a reporter’s question about the last-place race.
“Want to do what’s best for the New York Mets, short-term and long-term. The challenge is trying to mesh those two things. Certain things you might have done with [third baseman Mark] Vientos a month ago you might not do with him now.
“So you’re always trying to position your team and organization to win a game and to be in a better spot down the road.”
When a reporter pressed him on the matter, Showalter seemed to get annoyed, saying: “I’m not sure if you’re trying to get some words in my mouth there, but I’m not going to say that I don’t care about finishing last, I can tell you that.
“Of course not. I’m not going to go there.”
Notes & quotes: Starling Marte, who received an injection Tuesday to ease his recovery from a groin injury, is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list Wednesday but probably will not, Showalter said. Marte still is sore from the injection. Showalter said he might get a rehab assignment before returning to the Mets . . . The Mets avoided their first-four game sweep by Atlanta since 2008 and their first ever in New York.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
